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Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Complete Set: 2013 Bowman

I completed another complete set, but this one was easy since it was just released a little over a week and half ago. The Bowman set has been a hot commodity in recent years, but seems to have taken a step back this year. Mainly due to the fact that the set seems to be lacking a marquee name. There seem to still be a few strong cards in the set with good future potential, but there are not many here and now cards for case busters and high-end single card chasers to track down. Still, Bowman is one of the staple products out on the market every year and is a must have for any tried and true set builder and collectors looking for some good long term investments in their collection.

2013 Bowman Albert Pujols

The base Bowman set of veterans and assorted rookies is fairly lackluster this year. I am not really too big into the design of the cards. This feels like a slight variations on the 2012 Bowman set and is only really a step or two away from the 2011 set. A bolder design would have definitely helped this set instead of a third year in a row with a white framed card. The usual veterans are in the base set, but the real star of the show, like all recent Bowman sets, is the Prospects and Prospects Chrome cards.

2013 Bowman Prospects Chrome Carlos Correa

The best card is the set probably belongs to Astros shortstop, and last year's number one overall draft pick, Carlos Correa. His cards are not in the Bryce Harper zip code, but they will run you a pretty penny. Twins outfielder Byron Buxton also seems to carry some value, but I have a feeling that he is a long way from the Majors and his cards will likely settle a little in the next year or two. Not to say that he will not be a good player, but I think the excitement will cool off a bit after he spends a year or two in the low minors. Without a clear stellar prospect to lean on this set will likely continue to be a disappointment to the collectors looking to cash in on the here and now of trading and selling their Bowman cards this summer. This seems like a great set to find, put in a closet, and revisit in a few years. This could be a dud, but then again it only takes one or two good cards to drive a set.

My Favorite Card

2013 Bowman Avisail Garcia Autograph

There are still plenty of good autographs floating around in this year's Bowman set. Why not pick a few and take a risk on picking up a card that is going to be something special in a few years? For example, while this Avisail Garcia card is not his rookie, nor his first autograph, it is commonly selling and trading for less than $20. At just 21, he probably does not really belong up in Detroit, but is playing there at the moment due to an injury to Austin Jackson. The front office types around the Tigers seemed to think that a few hundred at-bats in Toledo would do Garcia well. In his time in the International League this season Garcia is hitting better than .400 and has an OPS of almost 1.000. At some point Leyland, hopefully, gets tired of running the usual cast of clowns out to left field and Garcia will get his chance. At worst, you have a nice autograph of an everyday starting outfielder.